Julius Caesar, Act 5

In Act 5, near the end of the play, the climax, or moment of greatest tension occurs. in a tragedy the climax is usually the death of the tragic hero. a brief resolution follows that ties up any loose ends in the plot.

Act 5, Scene 1- The Plains of Philippi

• The two armies meet and argue over who is at fault. When nothing is resolved, they return to their armies and prepare for battle. Octavius vows that he won't stop until his father's 33 wounds have been well avenged.

• It is Cassius' birthday and he is filled with foreboding about the upcoming battle. Cassius, who never believed in omens before is now spooked because he saw two eagles fall and ravens, crows and kites (black birds) were flying over his army as they marched to Philippi.

• Brutus waits for Cassius to arrive and wonders about their deteriorating relationship. When Cassius and his army arrive, Cassius begins an argument. Brutus suggests they talk about their differences inside the tent so their armies don't witness their conflict.

Act 5, Scene 2- The Field of Battle

• In this short scene, Brutus sends Messala (a messenger) to Cassius instructing him to attack Octavius. He feels very confident and rightly so because he does end up winning that battle.

Act 5, Scene 3- The field of Battle

• Cassius receives information that Octavius has the upper hand, his men are surrounded, and Brutus' soldiers are occupied with looting. He retreats and sends his trusted friend Titinius to see if the oncoming troops are friends or foes. He then tells his slave Pindarus to watch and see what happens to Titinius.

• Pindarus misreads the situation and reports that Titinius has been overtaken. Rather than face capture or death in battle, Cassius instructs Pindarus to kill him with the same sword he used on Caesar. Note how Cassius must first cover his eyes so he doesn't see Pindarus coming. Pindarus is now a free man and he flees.

• Titinius arrives with the good news only to find that his master did not trust him to return. He feels that he caused Cassius' death and kills himself.

• Brutus arrives to find both Cassius and Titinius dead and says, "O Julius Caesar thou art mighty yet."

Act 5, Scene 4- The Field of Battle

• Lucilius masquerading as Brutus, is captured by Antony's troops. Antony instructs his men to treat him with kindness as he will make a better friend than enemy.

Act 5, Scene 5- The Field of Battle

• When he sees that the battle is lost and that their conspiracy was based on corruption, Brutus runs upon his own sword which is held by Strato. It is ironic that he commits suicide because he had said earlier that it was a cowardly and vile thing to do.

• Antony gives another moving eulogy, this time over Brutus' body, in which he proclaims him "the noblest Roman of them all." At this point, Antony realizes that Brutus was the only conspirator who murdered Caesar for the good of Rome and not for personal gain.

Paper 1 type practice questions

 Poetry

1. 
   
   Read the Poem below carefully and answer ALL the questions that follow.
   
   
   Death’s Course

   5 10 15

   Our days draw near, What can we do but prepare? Many try to live without fear But how can we act as if we do not care? When we know we must go, Maybe not by the arrow and bow, But by a withered soul. Life and death are one in the same, But it seems we live life so death can reign. Death can come without a feeling of pain, Or one could be labeled as lame. Look at life go as we count our days, Encountering this bitter-sweet phase. Our time has come, we are trapped in a maze, Deep in our conscience, as we head to our graves, Watch life go down in flames, All because of death and its unfair games.

                                                                                                               -Dwain Hurmal
                                                                                                                           5O
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   1.      (a) What is the persona’s attitude to death?                                                         (2 marks)
   
   
   (b) Quote a line from stanza one (1) that highlights this attitude.                             (1 mark)
   
   
   2.      The second stanza of the poem is called a ‘quatrain’ what is the name given to the form represented in the first stanza.                                                                             (1 mark)
   
   
   3.      What feature or characteristic of death is highlighted in lines 6-7, 10-11?              
    (2 marks)
   
   
   4.      According to the persona, how does death impact life? Support your answer.        
     (3 marks)
   
   
   5.      (a) What literary device is used in line 13.                                                             (1 mark)
   
   
   (b) Why does the persona describe the preparation for death as “bitter-sweet”?      
   (2 marks)
   
   
   6.      Say whether or not the title of the poem is of significance. Explain your answer.   
   (3 marks)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Total   15 marks
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    PROSE FICTION
   
   
   Read the extract below carefully and answer ALL the questions that follow.
   
   

   5 10 15 20 25 30

   “I was asked to make a request of you,” I said. “The elder at the house where I am, would like to come see you.” He removed his hand from the dough and concentrated on digging the flour out from underneath his fingernails. Then he reached into his pocket for snuff and took a pinch. “That is a strange request, Amabelle,” he said. “What do they want with me, these people?” “The elder wishes to talk to you of Joel’s accident.” “I don’t know if it was an accident, Amabelle. He was not one to die so easy, my son.” He raised his face towards the ceiling to keep the snuff from sliding from his nose down to his chin. Outside Felice cleared her throat again, this time it sounded like she was crying. “The elder, Papi, he would like to pay for Joel’s funeral,” I said. “No funeral for Joel,” he said. “I wanted to bury him in our own land where he was born, I did, but he was too heavy to carry so far. I buried him where he died in the ravine. I buried him in a field of lemongrass, my son.” He lowered his head, letting the tobacco mix drop to his chest. “He was one of those children who grew like the weeds in the fields, my son. Didn’t need nobody or nothing, but he did love his father. It was ceremonious the way I buried him, I know. No clothes, no coffin nothing between him and the dry ground. I wanted to give him back to the soil the way his mother passed him to me on the first day of his life.” I could hear the children outside drawing sticks to decide who should have the first turn at playing with the goat. I no longer heard Felice. “Of all the things he’s done, my son,” Kongo was saying, “of all the ways I’ve seen him be, I’ll never forget how he looked when he was born. So small he was, so bare, so innocent.” He picked up the dough again and crushed it between his fingers. “You shouldn’t spend too much time with this old man,” he said. “I don’t want to push you, but kite’m. go see Sebastien now.” “What word should I bring to the elder?” I asked.       “Tell him I am a man,” he said. “He was a man, too, my son.”

   
   
   
   
   Adapted from Edwidge Danticat, The Farming of Bones,
   Soho Press, 1998, pp. 108-109.
   
   
   
   
   1.      Give TWO reasons for Amabelle’s visit to Kongo.                                         (2 marks)
   2.      What TWO versions of Joel’s death are presented in the extract?                    (2 marks)
   3.      Explain how Kongo feels as he speaks to Amabelle. Show how his actions support your explanation.                                                                                                (4 marks)
   
   
   4.      Identify the device used in lines 17 - 18 and comment on its effectiveness.       (3 marks)
   5.      Explain the irony in the way in which Joel was buried.                                    (3 marks)
   6.      Comment on the effectiveness of Kongo’s choice of words.                            (3 marks)
   7.      What do the following words suggest: “Tell him I am a man…. He was a man, too, my son.” (line 31)?                                                                                                    (3 marks)
   
   
   
   
   Total 20 marks

Short Story Questions

1. The narrators in “Berry” and “The Boy Who Loved Ice Cream” help us understand the nature of injustice.
   a)      Outline what happens in EACH story.                                             (8 marks)
   b)      Describe the injustice in EACH story.                                             (8 marks)
   c)      State which narrator contributes more to your understanding of the nature of injustice and justify your selection.                                                 (9 marks)
   
   
   
   
   2.      The difference between how children and adults see the world is highlighted in the stories “Septimus” and “Emma”, but readers are encouraged to prefer how the children see the world.
   For EACH story:
   a)      Outline the views held by children which are highlighted.                (8 marks)
   b)      Explain the adults’ views on the matter.                                        (8 marks)
   c)      Say which view you prefer and justify your answer.                      (9 marks)
   
   
   3.      In the stories “Shabine” and “Blackout” there is a focus on ambiguity in male-female relationships.
   a)      Describe ONE male-female relationship presented in EACH story.    (8 marks)
   b)      Show how the ambiguity is presented in EACH of these male-female relationships.                                                                              (8 marks)
   c)      Discuss ONE theme that EACH writer portrays through these relationships.                                                                                                        (9 marks)
   
   
   
   
   4.      Select TWO stories in which a love relationship is presented.
   For EACH story:
   a)      Describe the love relationship.                                                      (8 marks)
   b)      Discuss how the attitudes displayed by TWO characters who are involved in this relationship affect the outcome of it.                                             (8 marks)
   c)      Identify and comment on ONE device used by the writer to convey his/her view of the relationship.                                                                      (9 marks)
   
   
   
   
   5.      “An effective story holds the interest of the reader.”
   Choose TWO stories that you have studied from the prescribed list. For EACH story:
   a)      Describe a memorable event or incident.                                        (8 marks)
   b)      Comment on ONE character’s reaction to the event or incident you described in (a) above.                                                                                   (8 marks)
   c)      Show how the writer keeps the reader interested in this story.         (9 marks)

Response to a WOA question

                                            "Primus and Buntin play small but meaningful roles in The Wine of Astonishment.”

a)      Describe ONE incident in which Primus OR Buntin plays a meaningful role.  (8 marks)

b)      For the character chosen in (a) above, comment on his role in the novel.       (8 marks)

c)      Discuss the role of the male villagers as a group in the novel.                         (9 marks)

RESPONSE

a) Primus, who is a mild-mannered character reluctant to become anybody's enemy, appeals to Bee to have Bolo return his younger daughter and when this does not have the desired outcomes he brings in the police to take her from Bolo.     (8 marks)

b) Primus is a marginal character, undistinguished except for his passivity. He surprises Eva when he approaches Bee for assistance in the matter of having his younger daughter returned to him. He confesses that he had surrendered the elder to Bolo in a craven act of appeasement but he refused to let the younger be taken as a sacrificial lamb to Bolo's uncontrolled passion. For the first time, he weeps and shows signs of emotional distress. This explains why he later bypasses Bee and invites the police to take care of Bolo.   (8 marks)

OR

a) An incident where Buntin, the black conscious shopkeeper plays a meaningful role involves Bolo's release from prison when he provides Bolo with information regarding village happenings and the information on acquiring land for farming.

     Secondly, Buntin offers his shop as a meeting place for the villagers to discuss the social, religious and political activities of the village.

b) Buntin is a black conscious shopkeeper who tries to pass on his knowledge to the younger generation. He is also one of Eva's major sources of information on what is going on in the village, especially what Bolo is doing; he explains the ethos of stickfighting to Eva, and most importantly, he is one of Bolo's few confidantes after his incarceration and someone who tries to help him get settled in life. Buntin represents those who involve themselves in the community work much to their own personal detriment. Buntin is also the village philosopher. He is also the contrast to Mitchell.

c)The male villagers in the novel are generally an undistinguished lot best remembered for small but meaningful incidents, Innocent was the coward who struck down Lester in the stickfighting gayelle but cravenly backed away from Bolo; Mitchell is the Anansi figure who acquired money from his adventures with the Americans and helped to transform the village to a money economy complete with petty mas; Casa was brave enough to expel Bolo from the Club while Charleau paid dearly for his resistance (surprisingly they became friends after). The males show little courage so much so that Bee had difficulty in assembling a group to confront Bolo after he abducted Primus' daughter, Muriel. Taffy is one of the few genuine rebels and fighters in the village.

As a group, the male villagers fulfill roles as:

- protectors of the village

- guardians of traditional cultural practices (stickfighting)

- participants in cultural activities (stickfighting and drumming)

- leaders (religious eg. Bee, community leaders, political leaders eg. Ivan)

- restorers of order and providers of a semblance of unity

- providers for family's needs (eg. Fitzie Morton and Bee)

                                                                                                  (9 marks)

Wine of Astonishment Questions

1.      “Primus and Buntin play small but meaningful roles in The Wine of Astonishment.”

a)      Describe ONE incident in which Primus OR Buntin plays a meaningful role.  (8 marks)

b)      For the character chosen in (a) above, comment on his role in the novel.       (8 marks)

c)      Discuss the role of the male villagers as a group in the novel.                         (9 marks)

2.      “Eulalie is a marginal, forgotten character in The Wine of Astonishment.”

a)      Briefly describe Eulalie.                                              (8 marks)

b)      Explain her role in the novel.                                       (8 marks)

c)      Discuss Lovelace’s treatment of women in the novel.   (9 marks)

3.      Discuss the view that Bolo’s response to the authorities and his people was brave and genuine but destructive.      (25 marks)

4.      “I want you people to be against me,” Bolo say and his voice, Bee tell me, was a terrible cry. “I want you to be my enemy. I want you to come and take these girls from me.”

a)      Describe the situation in which Bolo poses this challenge.                               (8 marks)

b)      Discuss why Bolo would challenge the villagers in this way.                            (8 marks)

c)      Show how Lovelace presents the tension between the community and Bolo in the novel.   

                                                                                                                            (9 marks)

Poetry Aid for the CSEC Exam

Here are some questions that will help you to analyse the prescribed poems and write an effective essay.

Select two poems and attempt the following activities:

• In your own words, say what the poems are about.
• From whose point of view is each poem written? Why does the poet choose this voice?
• Describe the tone of each speaker.
• Describe the mood created.
• Comment on the treatment of the major themes.
• Identify two outstanding images that are used in each poem and describe their effectiveness.
• Comment on the use of dialect.
• Comment on the use of repetition.
• Identify and comment on the use of symbols.
• State one contrast that is mentioned and explain its effectiveness.
• Describe the form of each poem.
• Comment on how the form of each poem underscores its theme.
• Describe the conflict or problem that the persona in each poem experiences.
• Say what effect the poems have on you.
• Which lines of the poems appeal to you. Why?
• Describe the use of the natural environment.
• Which of the two poems is more alarming? Why?
• Which of the speakers appeals more to your sympathy? Why?
• Which of the two poems is more enjoyable? Give reasons for your answer.
• What lessons can you learn from each poem?
• How does the persona in each poem change from the beginning to the end of the poem?

***Once you can answer these questions, you can answer any question that could possibly come on the exam paper***

notes on dreaming black boy

http://vincyclassroom.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/cxc-poem-dreaming-black-boy.pdf